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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will become a free agent on Monday (March 9), sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
"Sources: #Bucs legend Mike Evans is poised to become a free agent next hour, and interested teams have gotten the sense he’s serious about leaving Tampa Bay after 12 seasons," Schultz wrote on his X account, adding that the Los Angeles Chargers "are among the teams that have been in on the veteran WR market."
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that Evans was soon to be "negotiating with other teams for the first time in his future Hall of Fame career" and there was a "feeling" that his tenure with the Buccaneers was "coming to an end and that could happen quickly."
Evans, 32, spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the Buccaneers after being selected No. 7 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's record of 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.
Evans' streak was snapped in 2025 as he was limited to just eight games due to hamstring and shoulder clavicle injuries, finishing with 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns. The former Texas A&M standout was a Super Bowl LV champion, a two-time second-team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowl selection during his tenure with the Bucs, which also included being the NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader in 2023.